Convertible chair and cot



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shet' 1.

- W. H. PHILLIPS.

CONVERTIBLE GHAIRAND GOT.

N0. 352,067. Patented NOV. 2,- 1886.

' Horn 01/ ETER$ Flwto-L'vlhogmpher, Wahinglon. u c.

S P I L L I H P H W (No Model.)

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR AND GOT.

Patented Nov. 2,1886.

NHWH

' Witness? PAT NT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY PHILLIPS, OF BRIDGETON, NEW JERSEY.

SPECIFICATION CClNVERTIBLE CHAIR AND COT.

forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,067, dated November 2, 1886.

Application filed April 15, 1886. Serial No. 198,955. (No model.)

T0 o whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY PHIL- LIPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeton, in thecounty of Cumberland and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Convertible Chairs and Cots, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in convertible chairs and cots; and it consists of the peculiar and novel construction, combination, and adaptation of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved device or article of the class named,

which can be easily and rapidly converted from a reclining-chair to a cot, and vice versa, without requiring the attachment or detachment of any parts, and thus render the device complete in itself; to provide an improved foot rest or support for thechair, which can be adjusted at any desired angle or position with relation thereto; to provide improved means for rocking or oscillating the chair by hand or foot of the occupant, and to provide means which shall be simple, strong, and do- ,rable in construction, thoroughly effective in operation, andcheap and inexpensive of manufacture.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 -is a perspective view of my invention in its adjusted position as a chair. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the device adjusted for use as a cot. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view through the device shown in Fig.

2. Fig. 4. is a detail view of the adjustable braces for the pivoted foot-rest. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the supplemental supports for steadying the rockers when the device is to be used as a cot.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, A designates the rockers, which. are of the usual well-known form, and, connected by a tie. rod or bar, a. B designates the. supporting standards, which are arranged in'pairs on each rocker and carry side rai1s,0, at their upper ends,

which are connected by cross-bars c, all of which are suitably and rigidly connected or secured together to form the main frame.

D designates the foot-support, which ,comprises the side rails 51, that are pivotally connected'at one end, as at d, to one end of the frame, and a cross-rail or foot-piece, d that rails by nieansof bolts or straps (2 the free, ends of the side rails d being connected by a tie or cross bar, d.

prises the side rails e, an end rail, e, and a tie ably secured together rigidly. The free ends 6 at the ends of the side rails O, opposite the said rails, and the end rail, 6, of said backsupport is provided at or near its middle with a bearing, f, in which an adjusting-screw, F, works to adjust the back-support in alignment With the main frame 0, or at an angle thereto,

of the adjusting screw or bolt being provided with a shoulder, f,;that prevents the screw from moving longitudinally in its bearing, and with a squared or angular head, f, to adapt a wrench or crank, F of any suitable conrotate the same.

G designates longitudinal side and brace rails which bear against the outer faces of the rails 0 e, and the said rails arepivoted to the rails G'at points so that they can assume drawings, or the horizontal position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Near one end the longitudinal brace rails or bars G are provided with a se- H,which'are recessed in their bottoms, as at h, and provided with a longitudinal slot, h.

I designates brace arms or rods, which are pivoted at one end on and carried by the side rails of the pivoted foot-support E, and the device is in use as a reclining-chair the footsupport is adjusted and'maintained at any de side rails O, which latter constitute the mainis secured to the free lower ends of the side,

or cross bar or bars, 0 all of which are suit of the side rails are pivotally connected, as at.

ends where the foot-support is connected toas will more fully, appear presently, the head the inclined position shown in Fig. I of the sired angle, to the frame 0 by adjusting the free E designates the back-support that com- I struction, to be detachably-fitted thereon to ries of two or more notches or openings, g and immediately over the notches are sheaths free ends of these brace-arms are provided Y with an enlargement or lug, t, and when the ends of the pivoted brace-arms in the sheaths H and in one of the notches g or 9 the sheaths preventing accidental detachment or misplacement of the brace-arms, while at the same time the braces can slide freely therein. The upper or rear ends of the longitudinal brace rails or arms Gare connected and braced by a cross-bar or end rail, J, against which the side rails of the adjustable back-support E bear, and by which the back is supported, and this end rail J is provided with a threaded bearing, 3', in which the free end of the longitudinal adjusting-screw F works.

K designates angular brackets or supports for the pivoted brace-rails G,and these bracerails rest on and are supported by the brackets when the device has been adjusted for use as a cot.

L designates brace-arms, which are pivoted near one end to the roekers,at or near the rear ends of the latter. These brace'arms extend beyond the lower edges of the rockers for a short distance,when they are turned to a vertical position, and the lower ends thereof rest on the floor or other place to support the cot in an approXimately-horizontal position. The opposite ends of the pivoted braces are extended up to the plane of the main frame 0, and they are connected by a transverse rail or bar, Z, on which the back-support rests and is supported thereby. These bracearms are turned to a vertical position when the device is adjusted for use as a cot, so that the lower ends of the said arms project beyond thclowcr edges of the rockers and rest on the tloor,and the back-support E rests on the rail or bar Z, at the upper ends thereof, said back-support being braced and strengthened by the braces when the latter are adjusted in a vertical line, and when the device is used as a rocking-chair the braces are folded so as to lie against the rockers, the free ends of the transverse bar Z projecting beyond the braces and resting on the upper edges of the rockers to limit the downward movement ofand retain in placethe said braces L. hen the braces are turned to a vertical position, they arelocked in place by means of a locking-plate, M, that is pivoted at one edge on the upper face of one of the rockers, as at m and in close proximity to one of the braces L; and at its free edge the locking-plate is provided with two arms or lugs, m, which fit on opposite sides of the brace, adjacent thereto, and as the braces are connected rigidly and for simultaneous adjustment they are both locked in place. \Vhen the braces are adjusted in a vertical line, the locking-plate is swung forward to cause the shoulders m thereof to engage with one of the braces, and when the braces are to be folded against the rockers the locking-platc is first swung rearwardly to disengage the shoulders from the braces.

N designates a standard or rod that is arranged vertically and extends through openings in one of the side rails of the frame 0 and one of the rockers. This standard or rod is arranged on one side of the frame, so that it can be conveniently grasped by hand and be depressed to oscillate the chair when it is for a rocking-chair, and in lieu ofproviding openings through the frame 0 and the rocker for the shaft or rod, the latter may be passed through proper guides on theframe and rocker, as will be very readily understood.

In order to adapt the feet of the occupant to assist in operating the chair, I provide a treadle, O, which is hinged at one end to the foot-support, as at 0, and to the free end of the treadle is secured a cord, chain, or other flexible connection, O,which passes through guides 12 on the foot-support and main frame, and connects with the upper end of the rod or standard N. It will be observed that by depressing the rod N the rear portion of the chair will be thrown or forced downwardly, and by releasing the pressure on the said rod the weight of the chair will cause it to fall forward, and by continuing this operation the chair can be very easily oscillated back and forth. The pivoted trcadle can also be depressed at its free end by the feet of the occupant to assist in rocking the chair.

The operation of my invention is as follows: When the device is adj usted for use as a reclining-chair, the back-support E is adjusted at an angle to the frame 0, which latter forms the seat or bottom of the chair. The longitudinal brace-rails serve to hold the back-support in its proper position with relation to the frame G, and the said rails also form the arms of the chair, and the foot-supportD can be adj usted at any angle to the frame (J by means of the brace-arms I. The chair can be rocked or oscillated by the rod or standard N and the foottreadle, or it can be held immovably in place by the foldable brace L. By rotating the screw F the relativeangle of the back-support to the seat-frame C can be varied to suit the occupant and increase his comfort. \Vhen the reclining-chair is to be converted into a IIO cot, the bracearms L are first adjusted to bear on the floor and hold the device in place, and the crank or handle I? is applied to the head of the adj usting-screw, which is then rotated to cause the upper end of the rails G to be forced downwardly and turn on their pivots to elevate the lower ends thereof, the pivoted back-support E moving with the rails G in their adjustment, owing to the screw F 0011- meeting the end rails of the rails G and backsupport. The rotation of the adj usting-screw is continued until the frames 0 and D lie in the same horizontal plane, or approximately so, and the longitudinal rails G rest on the angular brackets J z and outside of the rails 0 e, the cross-rail j supporting the free end of the pivoted back-support. The brace-arms I of the pivoted foot-support D are adjusted or thrown out of use, and the support is folded down within the plane of the side rails G. The free ends of the brace-rails G bear against the pivoted ends of the brace-arms I, and thus support the adjustable foot-support in place.

It will thus be seen that the-frame O and the foot and back supports D E are all adjusted to the same plane and held in place by the brace-arms, and as the frames are all upholstered and finished a person can recline at ease on the cot thus provided.

In order to convert the cot into a chair, it is only necessary to turn the adjusting-bolt, so that the end rail j of the pivoted rails G will be drawn toward the end rail 6, thereby ele-.

4 ment of my invention, as I am aware that I back supports, the pivoted longitudinal rails changes therein can be made.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. In a convertible; chair and cot, the combination of a seat-frame, a foot-support pivoted to one end thereof, the back-support pivoted to the opposite end of said frame, the brace-rails pivoted to the sides ofthe seatframe at an intermediate point of theirlength, an adj listing-screw connecting one end of the brace rails and the back support, and the brace-arms intermediate of the opposite ends of the brace-rails and the foot-support,whereby when the screw is rotated the brace-rails will 'be turned on their pivots to move the foot and back supports in opposite directions,

substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a convertible chair and cot, a seatframe and an adjustable back-support pivoted to the one end of theseat-frame, in combination with an adjustable foot-support pivoted to the opposite end of the seat-frame, the bracerails pivoted to the seat-frame, the foot-support being adjustable independently of the brace-rails by hand, and-the brace-arms carried by the foot-support and bearing against the brace-rails to hold the foot-support in its adjusted position, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a convertible chair and cot, the combination of the frame, the pivoted foot and having an end rail, and an adjusting-screw connected to the end rails of the longitudinal rails and back-support, substantially as described.

4. In a convertiblechair and cot, the combination of a frame, a pivoted foot-support, a pivoted back-support, the longitudinal rails pivoted to the frame and having an end rail on which is fitted and supported the side rails of the back-support, and an adjusting screw working in bearings of the end rail and the pivoted back-support, for adjustably connecting said parts, substantially as described.

5. In a convertible chair and cot, the combination of the seat-frame, a foot-support pivoted to one end of theseat-frame and normally depending therefrom, a back-support pivoted to the opposite end of the seat-frame, the longitudinal rails pivoted to the seat-frame at an intermediate point of their length, and connected at their rear ends to the back-support and having the racks at their front ends, and the swinging braces carried by the foot-support and engaging the racks at'their free ends to retain the foot-support at any desired angle to the seat-frame, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a convertible chair and cot, the combination of a seat-frame, a foot-support pivoted thereto at one end, a back-support pivoted to the opposite. end of the seat-frame, the longitudinal side rails pivoted at an intermediate point of their length to the seat-frame and connected at theirrear ends with the backsupport and having the racks at their front ends, the slotted sheaths affixed to the front ends of the longitudinal rails and concealing the racks thereon, and the swinging bracearms pivoted to the foot-supportand having the enlarged free ends fitted in the slotted sheaths and engaging the racks of the longitudinal side rails, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination of a frame having the rockers, a foot and back support, the longitudinal rails, arod, N, guided on the frame, and a movable foot-piece or treadle supported on the foot-support and having a connection with the rod, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

8. In a convertible chair and cot, a seatframe provided with the rockers and the adjustable seat and back supports, in combination with the folding braces L, pivoted to the rockers, and projecting beneath the same when adjusted to an upright position, and a swinging locking-plate carried by one of the rockers to lock the braces against movement, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth. V i

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM HENRY PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

J NO. L. FERGUSSON, Lonnnzo B. PHILLIPS. 

